My Moon Child 50 Fic Challenge
by novlomien
Summary: I decided to do a 50 fic challenge for the movie "Moon Child"! WARNING: SPOILERS! Will be mostly Sho and Kei. Will update often! Please Read and Review!
1. Intro

Hello!

I decided to do a Moon Child 50 Fic Challenge! This is the first time I've ever done one so hopefully I do it right. Here is the list:

001. Sleep.  
002. Love.  
003. Pain.  
004. Brother.  
005. Glass.  
006. Cigarette.  
007. Moonlight.  
008. Happiness.  
009. Tears.  
010. Writer's Choice.  
011. Cry.  
012. Silence.  
013. Sun.  
014. Demon.  
015. Twist.  
016. Empty.  
017. Blue.  
018. Red.  
019. Control.  
020. Writer's Choice.  
021. Psychotic.  
022. Hope.  
023. Alone.  
024. Sword.  
025. Gasp.  
026. Smirk.  
027. Piece.  
028. Promise.  
029. Kiss.  
030. Writer's Choice.  
031. Moment.  
032. Eternal.  
033. Wish.  
034. Darkness.  
035. Guns.  
036. Sick.  
037. Turbulence.  
038. Malevolence.  
039. Blossom.  
040. Writer's Choice.  
041. Embrace.  
042. Dark Eyes.  
043. Hands.  
044. Youth.  
045. Ignored.  
046. Mistake.  
047. Storm.  
048. Hatred.  
049. Blood.  
050. Writer's Choice.

My main focus will be to write these ficlets pertaining to the gaps in between the storyline of the movie. I hope to update as often as possible with this! Please read and review! I would love to know what you guys think since I'm such a feedback whore!!

ENJOY!


	2. 012 Silence

**012. Silence**

Rain. Always raining. It seemed that the sky was also in mourning. The clouds were a sharp gray as they covered every inch of the once blue sky and the precipitation pattered harshly on the lush greens that scattered the park.

Sho stood on the abundant grass, his charcoal ankle boots shifting slightly in the soggy area he had been standing on for a while now. Time seemed to have passed him, though he had lost count of how many minutes he had been standing in the rain. His black lightweight jacket was already soaked through and his matching leather pants were slick from the constant beating of the water. The styled hair he normally possessed was heavy from the wetness, sticking to his forehead as he continued to stare at the ground.

One would assume he was just staring at the mud, observing the streams of water as they snaked through the lawn, watching as more puddles appeared before him. But all Sho could see, was a memory. A memory that replayed over and over again in his mind. Even when sleeping, it would creep into his dreams. The endless nights of waking up in a cold sweat and occasional tears coursing down his fair cheeks were a constant ritual. He couldn't remember the last time he had a decent night's sleep.

Kei had been watching Sho for a while now underneath the nearby trees with his arms crossed in front of him. He knew what was bothering Sho, it was obvious. He wasn't one to be supportive as much as he should be, because he had to rely mostly on his own… but that was a different story.

The rain began to let up, but Sho barely noticed. After another moment, Kei ultimately let his arms hang to his side as he revealed himself from the brushes to approach Sho. His white shirt was halfway soaked from the initial rain and clung to his body. He was almost hesitant to approach him, but he knew Sho shouldn't stay in the rain much longer, for fear that he'd become very ill.

"Sho, come on you'll catch a cold if you don't get out of this rain," Kei tried to coax him, placing his hand softly on his shoulder. Sho shunned away slightly then turned on his heel to distance himself a few feet from him. He directed his attention from the ground to the small bunch of flowers that he held in his shaky hands.

"I know why you come here, you can't keep torturing yourself like this," Kei continued, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stared at his soaked backside. Sho didn't respond, keeping still and silent. Kei tried another approach.

"It's not your fault, you know… It was mine," he mentioned, trying to remind him of what had happened. "I couldn't save him."

"Kei," Sho finally said softly, having heard this from him before. His voice was then caught in his throat, from being silent for so long. The memory creeping its way into his head again… like a bad movie that would never end.

_Sho, Son, and Yi-Che were waiting in the rain, after Yi-Che's mural ceremony, for Toshi to arrive with some pizzas from his work to celebrate. Two men, who had been had by him and his friends, were after them in the park, trying to gun them down. The men had previously handcuffed Toshi and were holding him hostage. Toshi ran up to the guys, yelling and pushing them, to try to stop them from firing at his friends. As much as he tried, he failed because he was defenseless, and was shot in the stomach. Sho watched in horror from behind a tree they used as a shield from the gunfire, and screamed out his name as he tried to go towards his wounded friend. Son knew immediately what Sho was going to do and grabbed his upper body to prevent him from doing just that, as they both fell to the ground._

"_Let me go!" Sho demanded repeatedly to Son, trying to break free from his grasp, but was unable to; the slickness of the ground preventing him as well from getting back up._

"_They'll kill you!" Son yelled at him, holding him back for his own good. Sho didn't care, he tried to struggle out of his tight grasp._

"_You kids pushed your luck too far," one of the men told the group, referring to when they stole from them and killed their men. Toshi, on his knees, held his wound the best he could with his wrists in cuffs, trying his best to take the pain. "Now you're gonna learn a lesson. No punk kids mess with us."_

"_You're the ones pushing your luck!" Toshi screamed at them, knowingly pushing their buttons. The man with the red hair turned around and pointed his gun back at Toshi._

"_Fuck you," he spat at him._

_A red hooded figure came out of the shadows and ineptly bounced his feet along one of the men's shoulders before falling on his side. It was Kei, trying to help out, but being so frail and weak from starvation, he could barely get up._

_Sho and the siblings watched from behind the tree at the scene that was being displayed. It was as if their limbs wouldn't work anymore from the dread that coursed through their bodies. Toshi could see that the gun was now turned to Kei as he struggled to get up. Trying his best to distract and save his friend, Toshi forced himself up and positioned himself in front of Kei. Seemingly in an insane way, Toshi gestured a gun out of his hands and feigned to shoot the offending man repeatedly. The man, clearly not amused, pointed the gun at Toshi and shot one more time, right into his chest._

"_Toshi!!" Sho cried out as he watched his friend fall down to the ground in a heap._

_The gunman pointed the gun at Kei, ready to open fire on the hooded figure that interfered. Kei haphazardly stood up, trying to use the last remaining ounce of strength left in him to jump unnaturally behind the other gunman. The man, following Kei as he fired, accidentally shot his friend. Kei finally made a break for it towards the trees and the gunman, insignificantly annoyed at what Kei made him do, decided to follow him._

_When it was safe to come out, Sho quickly crawled up from the ground and sprinted towards where Toshi lay on the ground while Yi-Che and Son followed. Sho, in utter horror and despair, picked up Toshi's upper body to hold him, calling out his name repeatedly in a crazed state and made pleas for him not to die._

_Toshi, in his last breaths, told Sho the orphanage called and said that his mother was finally coming to see him after all these years. Toshi's mother was finally coming to see him… and he was going to meet her tomorrow. Then the sound of his last breath could be heard. Sho pleaded and shook Toshi with all his might, trying to wake him up, not believing that he was dead… No, he couldn't be… He had to wake up, he just had to!_

This scene was all too familiar with Sho as his eyes filled up with tears once again. Countless times, he tried to remember the good times he shared with Toshi, especially when the jokes were at his expense. Sho was too cool to be played a fool, but Toshi somehow figured out ways to poke fun. The spirit that Toshi possessed was uncanny, no matter how annoying he was or how foolish he seemed to be, he was always a good and loyal friend.

Kei bowed his head slightly.

"You should think of Toshi as a hero, how brave he was to try to save me, even though he didn't know I couldn't be killed," Kei told him.

Sho felt a chuckle come through as he thought of how foolish Toshi looked trying to stop the man from shooting his friend. But he did it out of courage and the strong bond of friendship. That, Sho could never forget. No matter how many times Sho had treated him badly, Toshi was always forgiving and kept a clownish smile planted on his face. It was contagious at times. Now, that was all gone. The small laughter inside of him turned to sorrow once again.

"Toshi was a bumbling idiot… but he was my friend," Sho told Kei softly, a few tears started to stream down his cheeks, but was unnoticeable due to the few pattering droplets that remained in the sky.

Kei's face softened slightly as he replaced his hand on Sho's shoulder - this time, he allowed him. The flowers that Sho had in his grasp the entire time fell down towards the moistened ground where Toshi had lost his life.

"Come on, let's go home," Kei suggested. Sho nodded hesitantly and followed him towards the other direction.

All that was left was quiet. No more laughter. No more jokes. No more goofing around.

All of that was silenced… when Toshi died.


	3. 013 Sun

**013. Sun**

The evening seemed to be at a stand still as Sho drove his white car down the lighted streets. The natural beauty in his face had grown weary ever since Kei turned him into what he was now; the years never appearing as age but rather as exhaustion as he kept his gaze on the road.

Kei was in the passenger seat, letting the wind blow in his grown out sandy hair. The breeze felt soothing and the gentle vibrations of the car ride rocked him into slumber. It was mostly quiet between the two of them for they knew what was ahead for their emanate future. The world around them seemed to be nonexistent.

Sho slowly pulled up to the grassy hill overlooking the clear beach shifting the engine off. Naturally, when the car stopped, Kei opened his eyes with a start, looking at his surroundings. He sat up slowly in the car seat and instinctively looked at Sho, who was still staring straight into the darkness that hovered over the waters.

Reaching in his pocket, Kei fumbled with a photo that he kept with him for many years. It was a photo of the two of them with Toshi, Yi-Che, and Son back in the good days of when they were friends. He handed it to Sho as he looked at it expressionlessly. He placed it beside the side mirror so that they both could look at it, reminiscing.

"Are you okay with this?" Kei asked hesitantly after a moment, not sure if maybe he was changing his mind. Sho still sat there staring out for a moment before looking down at his lap.

"Yeah," he simply answered. "I'm ready to do this." Kei positioned himself better in the seat, for he knew they had a while before the sun came up. They sat there for a few minutes in silence. It seemed that the years of being apart made then not talk as much as they used to, as if most of it was forced. But Kei figured that it was due to him turning Sho into a vampire to save his life; it was out of his own selfishness.

"Kei," Sho breathed out, after thinking for a bit. "I finally understand what you had been saying to me all this time." He looked at him for emphasis.

"What do you mean?" Kei asked.

"About how when you're a vampire, you're a monster. I always thought that not being able to age or die would offset the cons, but it's not as I thought it would be, not at all," he explained. Kei nodded, understanding.

"Yeah, but you didn't deserve it," he finally admitted guilt.

"Actually, I don't mind that you did it," Sho revealed. "I was able to see Hana grow up into a beautiful woman. If I had died, I would've missed all that." Kei thought about it, seeing how Sho could see it like that.

"I still don't think it was fair for me to raise your child, that should've been something you could have experienced," he mentioned.

"You helped me out in my time of need and you deserved to have a good life, I felt that at the time, you were better prepared emotionally than I was," Sho tried to explain. "I just couldn't."

Kei left it at that, knowing either way it would have been hard for him, he remembered a time when he finally realized what he had become himself and submerged himself into self hatred and deep depression.

"I want to thank you for everything," Sho said, smiling softly at him. "You are a great friend."

"You too, thanks for saving my life that day when you were trying to steal my watch," he said with a grin, getting a small chuckle out of Sho.

"It was a crappy watch anyway, wouldn't have gotten small change for it," Sho joked. Kei shook his head at that, finding relief in the tension that was between them as he chuckled lightly. His gaze turned towards the tangerine sun as it slowly made its way into the sky. The silence between them stayed in the air; they had said their goodbyes and gratitude. They never faltered as the rays cast upon the land. Wisps of white smoke protruded from their bodies as the fatal effect took its course on them. Instinctively, they both closed their eyes and suffered the inviting pain of the burn. Death is painful in some way, but it is the last trial as you descend to a more peaceful place. Flashes of white overcame the blackness that consumed their vision, as they were seemingly taken on a journey of weightlessness.

Sho opened his eyes and looked at himself. He was wearing one of his favorite outfits from when he was younger. The quick salty breeze overcame his senses and he looked out to see the beautiful crashing waves of the beach he once knew and loved. It'd been so long since he had seen it in the daylight. Kei made his presence known as he stood next to Sho, sporting his favorite oversized white shirt and black pants that he used to wear years ago. They smiled at each other as they knew they were free at last; no more limitations, no more heartbreak, no more pain.

"Hey!" a voice called from one side of the sands; their attentions immediately cast in that direction. The smiling faces of their friends as they waved them over were refreshing to them. The two men raced over to the group, the sands kicking up behind them.

This was what they had waited for all their lives, this moment of happiness in the sun…


	4. 016 Empty

**016. Empty**

The cold gray walls of a prison cell are never inviting. The metal bars surrounding the small area felt more like a cage than anything. A real animal being separated from the rest of the world. The air was cold and nipped the hairs on the back of Kei's neck as he lay on the slim, hard bed. A single light kept the room illuminated, since he was in a separated cell with no windows. His eyes fluttered slowly as he felt the sensation of weakness once again. His eyes took in his surroundings once more, even though they seemed all too familiar to him. He lost count of how many days or even weeks he had been there.

Ironically, he was locked up for murdering a man out of numerous that he had hunted. It was only a matter of time, for he needed to feed like an animal to silence that hunger that coursed through his body everyday. But now, there was nothing left. Everyone turned their backs on him and the friend he had left, he presumed was already dead because of his reckless lifestyle and disregard for life.

Kei wrapped his slender fingers around the bars that held him prisoner. The coldness in the air ever steady as he shivered once more, primarily due to the clothing he was forced in had little material as it covered his frail body.

Being alone in an empty cell makes you start to think and for him this was no different. His mind raced at how his life turned out this way. He screwed it up because the thirst overpowered his starvation tactics and he lost the only friends he had left and the girl he loved.

After successfully killing a number of people, he was eventually caught. It was a fear that all vampires normally had. People just didn't understand. And, of course, when he revealed why the victims had gashes in their necks, the authorities didn't believe him. They threw the book at him, sort of speak, hailing threats that he was going to get the death penalty - which he deeply wanted anyway; there was nothing left for him anymore… not him.

But Kei had become frustrated. They claimed he was sentenced to death but took their time in doing so. For months he plead to let them put him in the sun, but they always denied his request. He had asked so much and so long that he had grown weary. Not only that, he was frail and pallid from lack of sustenance. They tried to force feed him food but they never understood why he wouldn't eat it, let alone believe him. They just assumed that he was starving himself to prove some point or to achieve his death wish.

Kei felt himself falling more and more into insanity; not only from the nonbelievers but from the tight capacity he was forced to stay in. He loved taking midnight walks by himself to clear his mind and breathe the fresh air. But that was long gone.

The frustration he suppressed was slowly coming forth. As his grip grew tighter around the cold steel, he started to shake them hard, causing a loud racket that echoed throughout the empty hallway. Suddenly, a few uniformed guards came through the opened door and shouted orders for him to stop. After repeated attempts to a deaf ear, they decided to grab a straightjacket so he would stop. One guard stood in front of the gate door and fumbled with his keychain full of odd shaped keys. Upon finding the correct one, he opened it quickly and the guards bum rushed him to the ground, pinning him. Kei struggled, finding the weight constricting under his frail body; his vampire strength lost due to his weakness. As he struggled the best he could, he somehow managed to grab hold of the smaller guard and instinctively clamped down on the lower part of his neck with his jaws, digging his fangs deep into the skin, breaking it. The smaller guard screamed in pain as the other two tried to pry Kei off of him. Kei's pupils enlarged as the animal instincts took over his mind as the sweet nectar from his victim filled him, even for a short moment. A shot of pain came from his side as the bigger guard stabbed a needle into his arm, pumping him with a sedative. A straightjacket was rushed on him, trapping his arms in a self hugging position. Kei no longer fought as his body became numb and was pushed into the corner of the room on the floor. The wounded guard pushed against his neck in shock, trying to halt the profuse bleeding. The guards exited the cell and locked up the door once more, taking their wounded friend to seek medical attention.

Kei slowly regained control of his body mentally fighting off the foreign substance that they had injected into his body. He knew he had dug himself deeper in a hole he couldn't get out of; they deserved it for keeping him there…

Guess it was only a matter of time…


	5. 032 Eternal

**032. Eternal**

Black velvet laced the night sky covering the sparkling stars. Consumed was the land of parched amber grounds hissing as the boiling steam rushed through the numerous hairline cracks. Shades of crimson smoke wafted in the air full of heat. Jagged rocks scattered the vast terra firma. Flames were randomly rampant as they burned anything remotely living.

A dark creature came forth on one of the countless serrated mounds. The clinking of his charcoal hoofs as he stood on his hind legs could be heard even above the constant noise. The insignificant scarlet fur that covered his body gleamed with a mixture of sweat and grime. As he stood overlooking the lands, his torso and arms displayed intricate creases of brawn on his mammoth body. His face was rugged with various shades of crimson. The eyes beamed a frightening glare of white that seemed to lessen when he blinked. The malicious smile that grew on his hideous mug bore razor sharp teeth that would make anyone cower. The oversized horns curled from his head towards the sky which made him seem like a giant. The being overlooked the seemingly empty grounds for anything that looked remotely different. His eyes spotted a faint figure that was lying on the ground.

A sandy hair man laid face first on the warm ground, seemingly sleeping as he was sprawled out. His loose white shirt clung to his lean frame and his black pants outlined his slender legs. His eyes fluttered open and then squinted as he felt the sharp pain ringing in his head. His hand automatically went forth on the side of his head as if that would soothe the pounding. He slowly raised himself up on his sandaled feet, finding himself in a daze if he stood up too fast. His arm fell to his side as he took a look at his surroundings. He was confused as to where he was, not even sure how he got there either. The only thing that came to mind was to see if he could find his way home or somewhere familiar. As he took a few steps, he felt a large hand rest on his boney shoulder. Surprised, he turned around to see the monstrous creature of red. His eyes widened instantly as a slight fear coursed through his body. The demon smiled faintly out of amusement. Instead of saying anything, he gestured for the man to walk with him. He felt he had no choice but to obey. As they walked side by side, the man kept gazing at this creature. He had a sinking feeling of where he was. As they neared the edge of the cliff, they stopped together and the creature pointed towards the bottom. Reluctantly, the man took a few steps towards the edge to get a closer look.

The scene was almost ghastly. Numerous little dancing crimson devils circled around joyously as they were doing various tasks of torture. The victims were battered and torn, screaming and bleeding, being whipped as their limbs were chained together. Fires were ablaze and also used to torch the skins of the prisoners. Laughter was only screeched from the ugly miniature demons out of pure sick pleasure.

Kei was horrified at the sight and instinctively started to back away, the sight of this making him sick. The creature beside him placed his huge hand behind Kei's small one to stop him. It took little effort of his might to shove him towards the edge. He screamed as he lost his balance and started to fall faster and faster towards the ground…

Kei woke up with a start, his eyes huge and his breath staggered. He looked around to find himself in a dank alley where some dampness soaked his clothing. He felt some moisture that ran from the corner of his mouth. He felt it and then wiped it off with his fingers. He looked at the crimson liquid and became confused; maybe he was in a fight and was knocked unconscious.

A few feet away, a dark figure with short charcoal hair sat on a discarded wooden box with one knee in the air slightly as he rested his arm on it. The figure had been patiently waiting, keeping an eye on the other man as he sat in the shadows. His deep scarlet eyes gleamed in the artificial lights as he glanced over. As Kei looked around his surroundings, his eyes caught sight of the strange figure. He stared as the other man decided to come out of the shadows to reveal himself.

"Who are you?" Kei asked in a rasped voice, his breathing irregular out of fear but his face remained stern. The dark figure looked at him, not entirely sure how to go about what he had done.

"Tell me!" Kei raised his voice, gritting his teeth together in frustration.

"I wouldn't advise you to speak that way to me," the other man finally spoke, getting rather annoyed. "I'll tell you who I am and what is going on, but right now I need you to come with me," he said, extending his hand to help him up. Kei looked at it and slapped it away as he got up on his feet. The other man wasn't fazed by this and walked ahead, presuming that Kei would follow. He did hesitantly, not knowing if he should trust this man or not, after all he just met him, though he had a sinking feeling that this man either saved his life or was the one who started the fight.

The other man seemed to take Kei to a secluded area that was in ruins, which most of the city was, but this seemed to be completely abandoned. Colorful words plastered the walls as art and different vegetation climbed the walls and on the muddy ground. Pieces of the building lay scattered about which could easily be used to sit on, which the other man did and Kei reluctantly followed by sitting opposite him.

"My name is Luka," he introduced himself. "And I'm a vampire." Kei knitted his eyebrows in confusion which Luka was prepared for, but needed to explain himself and this was the best he could come up with; being straightforward.

"What?" Kei asked, completely confused at that. "There's no such thing as a-"

"That's what they want you to think, and I prefer that anyway," his soothing deep voice had become calmer that before. "You see, you were my victim tonight," he started to explain, Kei couldn't help but be shocked as his eyes stared intently on the man. "I saw that you were walking alone in the alleyway, your hands deep in your jacket pockets, possibly in deep thought about something that was bugging you."

Luka paused, seeing Kei's reaction as he was getting disturbed by his description, almost as if Luka was a stalker. He decided to not defend himself and continued.

"I made my way towards you, quickly and successfully clinching my fangs deep into your neck as I slowly drained your body of life," he explained, eventually feeling the guilt just as he did not too long ago. "When I looked at you in the streetlights nearby, it was then that I felt sorry for you. The fear that consumed your pallid face as your energy was slowly dying, gasping for air. It was then that my heart broke at what I had done. Ignorant people assume that vampires do not have feelings, but we do… we were humans once. And, you reminded me of myself at your age; almost like we were brothers in a past life."

Luka paused once more, finding it odd that even though Kei was still glaring at him cautiously, that he wasn't stopping him and proceeded to listen.

"It was then that I couldn't bear to watch you die," he continued. "But you had lost too much blood and the nearest hospital is about an hour away on foot, so I did the only thing that I could," he paused, afraid to disclose what he had done.

"What did you do to me?" Kei asked, anger flowing through him as the suspense was killing him. Luka looked up at him.

"I turned you into a vampire," he finally admitted.

"You turned me into you?" Kei asked angrily, standing up in a natural reaction of wanting to kill this man.

"You are a vampire now," he calmly replied.

"Turn me back!" Kei demanded which got a chuckle out of Luka.

"If I knew how to do that, I would've done it a long time ago," Luka said amused. "There is no undoing, it's permanent. The only way out of it is death."

"You turned me into a vampire because you felt sorry for me? I didn't want this!" Kei raised his voice, trying to figure things out and his mind raced at all of this information. He then turned his mind to something that he remembered. "What was that dream I had?"

Luka looked at him and knew what he was talking about immediately. "It's different for everyone, but it's like your transcendence into becoming a walker of the night. You have a vision as your body changes."

"But it was so horrible," Kei remembered the intricate details of it.

"Don't dwell on it, it's meant to scare you," Luka revealed.

"So," Kei thought aloud. "What now?" Luka stood up and approached him.

"Let's go somewhere nicer and talk more, ok? I'll show you that it's not all bad, being a vampire. Think of it as a new experience, because it will be."

Kei nodded, feeling as if he had no choice. They walked together out in the open as they were greeted by the round moon that was in the twilight sky. Kei wasn't really sure what to do anymore but to follow this man's teaching and learn what he should do now.

The feeling of being a vampire was different as if he felt lighter. His eyes were sharper like a feline's, ever rampant to spot out the littlest things that moved about. As Kei looked around his surroundings, it was almost like a completely new world.

And as if his soul was now eternal…


	6. 028 Promise

**028. Promise**

The gray speckled moon illuminated the dark city, casting unnatural shadows off the buildings. For once, the streets encompassed a sense of tranquility - the damp roads were clear and the faint aroma of sweet flowers from various gardens filled the air. A dark figure emerged from the shadows - a lean frame with lanky legs. Kei made his way through the familiar shortcuts, wary of the spotted puddles that lay in the dank alleys. He slowly headed towards Sho's luxurious apartment with his hands in his pockets. He kept trying to think of ways of how to tell the little girl that she would no longer see her father.

Having only seen his apartment once, he somehow remembered exactly how to get there. Hesitantly, Kei placed his fist against the wooden door and knocked gently. He replaced his hand back in his pocket as he patiently waited, slightly hunched as he swayed softly to a random rhythm of his feet. The clicking noise of the knob being turned was heard and Kei stood up a little bit so as to greet the person at the door.

A beautiful young woman with long raven hair and lean frame stood before him. Kei raised his hand to wave at her with a soft smile.

"Kei," she mentioned, looking at him.

"Hi, Mieko," he greeted the babysitter with a grin. She stepped aside to let him in. He brushed past her as she closed the door behind him. He only walked a few feet away from her before sighing softly to himself.

"_I need you to keep your promise," Sho reminded, standing off on the other side of the area, his back facing Kei._

"_What do you mean?" Kei asked, confused. "You're still alive."_

"_I can't be like this, the way I am, in front of my own daughter," Sho said, now realizing what Kei meant all of this time. He felt the change in him and it was far more evil than he ever imagined._

"I'm here to take care of Hana," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sho asked me to come here…"

"Oh, is he running late again?" she asked, grabbing her coat from the rack nearby.

"You could say that," he said, not feeling this was the right time to tell her. He wasn't sure how to break the news that Sho would not be returning to claim his daughter from the babysitter, but was certain that since she was hired help, it wasn't really her concern. He reached deep into the side pocket of his pants and pulled out a wad of folded bills to see before handing it to her.

"Thank you," he mentioned politely. Mieko nodded her head as she placed the money inside her purse. Without a sound, she made her leave out the door. The door closed soundly behind her and that was Kei's cue to find Hana. He figured she must be in her bedroom, playing with toys or something that was keeping her occupied and quiet.

He strolled towards her bedroom, his footsteps leaving slight marks in the plush white carpet as he treaded. Remembering Sho's place rather well, he made his way to the child's room. The door was cracked and he raised his palm against it to open it fully. As he assumed, Hana was playing with her toys. The once ivory walls were plastered with posters of kitties and horses that she loved to make it hers. The perfume in the air was subtle but inviting. To Kei, it felt like home even though it wasn't really his. The smile that formed on Kei's face could not be helped as he entered her room.

"_How could you do this to me?" Sho asked, looking at himself as if he didn't recognize himself anymore._

"_Sho-"_

"_No, you should have let me die!" Sho said angrily. Kei looked at him stunned._

Kei approached Hana slowly as he bent down to her level, making sure not to startle her. The little girl, sporting fine raven pigtails, snapped her head quickly at his presence and beamed.

"Uncle Kei!" she exclaimed forcing herself from her kneeling position; her little feet stomped lightly as she threw her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but laugh at her innocence and enthusiasm. He gently placed his hand on her tiny back, accepting the embrace.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked the dreaded question that Kei was still trying to prepare in his mind.

"_I'm just a shell now, my soul died when I turned," Sho said. He turned around, blood still stained on the front of his white shirt and arms where he had been wounded but now all had faded._

"_I didn't want this," Sho held up his hands halfway. "I can't… I need you to take care of my daughter… please," he pleaded, feeling the sense of sorrow yet, for the first time, no tears formed in his piercing blue eyes. Kei sighed, realizing that his selfishness overcame him more than just letting his friend go. He owed him that much. Kei was better coped with who he was more than Sho could at this moment. Kei nodded, indicating that he would keep his word._

"Ah, Hana," Kei started, picking her up to hold her on his side so she was at his level when he stood up. He used this method as a type of distraction and then set her on her bed that was made with a fluffy white comforter. Hana looked at him intently and he knew he couldn't hold it out much longer. He sighed as he gazed upon her oval face and flawless beauty. His voice was caught in his throat and tried his best to release it as he gently stroked down the flying wisps of her hair.

"Hana, your daddy isn't coming," he managed to say. His eyes gazed down to her shoes and he helped her take them off. She wiggled her feet slightly as he did that, almost making it difficult for him to take them off.

"Is he working?" she asked, watching him slip her shoes off along with her little socks.

"Your daddy had to take care of some things so I'll be taking care of you for a while," he finally fibbed. He couldn't break this precious child's heart… not now.

She seemed to take that for now as she nodded. He helped her slip into some comfortable pajamas; her favorite kitten ones to be exact. Excitingly, she pulled the pajamas on and stared at the cuteness from her favorite animal. Kei chuckled lightly as he guided her back to her bed. She awkwardly pulled the fluffy comforter on her side and set her head on the soft pillow.

Kei couldn't help his newfound paternal instincts as he knelt beside her bed gently and stroked the top of her hair. The stroking helped her eyes to flutter close and breathe a sigh of content. After a moment, he stood up and carefully left the room, leaving the door open a bit.

"_Where will you go?" Kei asked Sho curious._

"_I don't know, not too far away," Sho answered, starting to distance himself from him. "I won't be seen, but I will check up on my little girl," he told him, assuring that he wasn't going to fully be away._

"_You can live in my house, take care of Hana until she's old enough to take care of herself…" he trailed off, sadness washing over him and his heartbeat became faster as he realized how real this was. He balled up his fists as anger came over him. Being a parent was what he had left in his life and even that was taken away from him._

"_Will I see you again?" Kei asked, fearful of the answer._

"_No," Sho answered. He figured as much. Sho then started on his way towards the opposite end of the dark alleys as Kei let him go. He could keep his promise but he was going to miss his best friend terribly…_

Kei sighed deep, the whole day weighing heavily on his mind. He felt guilty for not telling Hana but in his heart it wasn't the right time. Not only that, but he needed to tell her what he was, which he really wasn't looking forward to.

He made a path to the large window on the other side of the living room and could see the sparkling stars against the blanket of twilight. The city lights illuminated the surrounding areas as he gazed upon them, his eyes twinkling from the artificial lights as his hands were deep in his pockets in thought.

Outside, a familiar figure was against the ledge near that same window, his back against the wall as his head was pointed towards the skies. The white coated man with sandy hair that ended in small multiple braids was disheveled looking. His knees were up in front of him as he sat on the ledge, his arms wrapped around his legs to bring them closer to his body. The soft breeze blew on his disheartened face as he stared into the never-ending darkness…

He couldn't leave… not just yet…


	7. 004 Brother

A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this! I wanted to mention that I do feature a lot of the movie into this but it was the only way to write this.

Normally I try not to note anything because usually there's not need to but for this one, I figured I might as well explain a few things before you guys read this. I need to strongly mention that the nickname Sho has for Shinji, I believe, was "Niii-chan" so you will see that mentioned a lot in this story. According to a translation done on Livejournal for the movie script, the person mentioned that it is an abbreviation for "older brother". If you ever watch the movie again, Sho doesn't call Shinji by his name, only by the nickname or abbreviation of "older brother." So I decided to use that instead. However, don't shoot me because I do not know if I spelled it correctly. I only spelled it how I think it is spelled.

Another note is that there is some language, slight violence, and talk of drugs in this so if that is bothersome, please do not read this. I don't want to be flamed so I'm warning you ahead of time.

Oh and one more thing, I _believe_ the name of the girl who worked in the fish store with Shinji is named Jessi. I wasn't entirely sure what Sho said when he greeted her in the shop when we first see her because the subtitles never kicked in when he said hi to her. So anyway again, don't shoot me, I'm only guessing here because we don't actually know what her name is.

Enjoy!! Please read and review!! *puppy eyes*

* * *

**004. Brother**

_"Niii-chan!" Sho's innocent voice called out to his brother as he heard the loud burst of a gun and seeing Shinji on the ground as the crimson blood ran down his leg from the bullet wound. The rich man they had stolen from was angry and had somehow scouted out the thieving tykes. The man's face contorted out of anger and revenge. He shot one of them in the leg on purpose, the slower one who tried to take the money instead of running off to save his own life, and intentionally used him as a pawn to give an ultimatum to the small one._

_"Go get the other kid or I kill this one," the man demanded, describing Sho's older brother as a thing instead of a human being. Sho was hesitant, not registering exactly what to do as he stood there in a type of panic. He was brought of out that quickly as the rich man shouted once more in a threatening way, waving his gun, showing how serious he was. Sho obeyed unwillingly and started out in the direction of where he best friend had run off to. As he called out for Toshi, he couldn't help but feel so saddened at what happened to Shinji._

_The cry from the offending man could be heard echoing throughout the area. Sho had stopped in his tracks and wondered what was going on, for that man sounded like he was in pain. Sho turned around and headed back to where Shinji and the rich man had been. Gimping in extreme pain, Shinji came out of the area they had once been in and, upon seeing Sho, he wanted him not to go in there._

_"Sho get out of here!" he warned, flailing his arm slightly as he tried to get Sho out of danger's way._

_"What's going on?" Sho asked; the curious type that he was slowly walked over to the entrance of the area to see what happened._

_"Your friend... he's a monster," Shinji said, having already put his weight against the wall and fell down to the floor, the pain intensifying in his leg. Sho started to go into the area and Shinji noticed this, trying to stop his younger brother by calling out to him and pleading for him not to go. But it fell on deaf ears as Sho just kept going in, his legs taking him to where he had left the rich man and the man that he had just found with highly sensitive skin._

_As he came closer, he could hear the suckling noises coming from one side of the area and headed towards that. The rich man who had threatened to kill his brother was writhing and squirming like a dying spider under the clenched teeth of the man he had just found. His head moved up and down slowly as each gulp was taken, the sustenance filling him. The man with the grown out sandy hair finally looked up as he felt the presence of someone watching him. His face then turned to that of confusion as he wondered why the little boy had not run away in fear like everyone else had done before. His eyebrows knitted together._

_"Aren't you afraid?" the man asked, finally saying something after being silent for so long. Sho didn't know what to say so he just shook his head repeatedly. The man rose up slightly from his meal, which was long gone, and started to smirk slightly. The little boy smiled a creepy, yet somewhat innocent, smile._

_Shinji's cries could be heard from the other side of the area as they echoed. The pain in his leg was intense and would not go away, the stinging making him cry out so loud. Sho felt immensely guilty for leaving his brother for even a moment and started to run to his older brother's aide. He fell down towards Shinji's level on the ground and the only thing he could think of to do was to place both of his tiny hands on his brother's wound, which made him yell even more; his breathing was erratic and his body was going into shock from the pain and loss of blood. The figure that Sho helped came into view, seemingly hovering over the two boys. Shinji saw him and began to scream out in fear, scared of what this man might do to him after having witnessed him killing the other man._

_"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you" the man calmly said, trying to ease the fear that Shinji had against him._

_"You're a monster!" Shinji screamed at him, trying to desperately crawl away but the pain was too much and he ended up collapsing on the ground._

_"Get him away from me!" Shinji yelled, struggling to try to get out of his younger brother's grasp. The energy that he thought he possessed had failed him and he had succumbed to unconsciousness. Sho was terrified, his naïve mind assuming that his brother was dead or close to it, and he started calling out his name over and over again to try to wake him up._

_The sandy haired man bent over and picked Shinji up in his arms. Sho's eyes were tearing up as he watched the man carry his brother towards the opposite end and he followed. Sho wasn't quite sure what this man was doing but he silently followed his footsteps to wherever he was taking him._

_A few hours later, Shinji stirred as his eyes fluttered open. He looked around his surroundings and noticed that he was in a safe, secluded area where the windows were boarded up. He sat up, feeling his leg was still in pain but not as much as it had been before. There was some kind of white scarf that was wrapped multiple times around his leg; he assumed it was just something Sho found to help._

_Sho was on the other side and was doing his best not to fall asleep, but upon seeing his brother move and sit up, he instantly became wide awake and stumbled to get on his feet from the high rock he was on. Sprinting as fast as his long lanky legs could, he quickly got to his side._

_"Niii-chan! You're okay," Sho said relieved. "How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"_

_"Sho, I'm fine, really," he said, trying to calm the overly stressed brother. The smile that his face displayed started to fade as his eyes strayed to the dark figure in the corner. He recognized the sandy haired man and instantly the panic set in._

_"The monster!" Shinji yelled, pointing at him and scooting himself the best he could with a bum leg, gritting his teeth to suppress the pain._

_"He's not a monster, he's a vampire," Sho mentioned, as if that was any better way to put it. He already familiarized himself with the man when they had communicated during Shinji's rest. "He's a friend, his name is Kei."_

_Kei stood up slowly and carefully showed himself as he stepped closer towards the two brothers. Shinji wasn't sure what to think of him, but his mind kept saying that this "vampire" couldn't be trusted._

_"He's not my friend, he's a monster," Shinji stood his ground. "He'll attack you." Kei stayed silent, knowing entirely that this is how most people react to him: he was used to the names and mistrust._

_"No he won't," Sho tried to reassure him, trying to get him to see differently._

_"He will in time, you'll see," he said, his mind dead set on what he thought of the vampire. Kei decided that maybe it was time for him to leave since his presence made the older brother uneasy._

_"I'll leave," he simply stated. "Get some rest and stay off that leg for a while. The bullet was too deep to extract but you should be fine." He nodded to both of them as a gesture of goodbye and made his leave towards the back end of the area. Sho sighed knowing that his newfound friend was being nice by leaving but hoped he would be back. When Shinji saw that Kei was indeed gone, he turned to look at his brother in total exasperation._

_"I can't believe you are sticking by this guy, you don't even know him! He's a monster, a killer!" Shinji tried to explain to him. "I saw what he did to that man!"_

_"I know, Niii-chan, but he is a vampire," Sho tried to explain. "He told me so, but he didn't want to hurt us. He saved us by getting rid of that man."_

_"I don't care, I can't believe you Sho, you would pick a man you barely know over your brother," he said, trying the sympathy route so that his younger brother would forget this man._

_"I'm not picking anyone over anyone else," he tried to explain._

_"No, I see how it is," Shinji said, trying his best to stand up on his good leg. Sho tried to help him but he refused, pushing him back. "No, I don't know you anymore, Sho."_

_Sho was confused and heartbroken over all this. He accepted Kei for what he was; his curiosity gave him an interest to this vampire. Not knowing what to do, he bent down and clutched his arms around his knees, starting to sob softly, feeling the sense of dread that he lost the trust he once had with his brother…_

Gasping as if out of breath, Sho had woken up from the horrible nightmare that had been replaying in his head repeatedly and sat straight up in his comfortable bed. Even though it had been a good amount of years since that day, the reel in Sho's mind kept replaying the memory as if he needed to be reminded every so often. Sho's face had become white and his skin slightly moistened. His eyes showed some fatigue in them as he placed his hand on the side of his head, feeling that he was indeed awake. The silence in the room hung in the air as he finally caught his breath, calming down from the reality of the dream. Sho closed his eyes once again, trying to block out any negativity before he slipped himself out of bed, figuring that he might as well wake up.

He slipped on a nice formfitting outfit and slipped on a black leather jacket, zipping it barely halfway to keep it on. His soft lips held a lit cigarette as he sat on the bed and started to slip on some comfortable boots, making sure they were on before he stood up. His two fingers instinctively went to the cigarette as he took it away from his mouth for a second before blowing out some smoke in thought, almost like a breath of fresh air to him. The piercing eyes he possessed took a once over at the white apartment, knowing that Kei was probably asleep on his side of the apartment and knew not to disturb him in the day. He quickly grabbed some black shades that were on the side table next to his bed and slipped them on in one move. He headed out of the bedroom and closed the front door behind him, figuring that he needed to visit his brother; the immense guilt that overtook him was powerful and he needed to make sure his brother was all right. He often felt this way but tried his best to keep it to himself.

As he walked the busy streets, Sho was in deep thought. He constantly thought about how Shinji never once would befriend Kei. Sho could see past the vampire that overtook Kei, but Shinji wouldn't budge, refusing to live with the both of them in an apartment. Shinji was living in a run down apartment complex of his own, but could barely pay rent due to his constant spending on drugs and countless debts towards the mafia. Sho continuously worried that his brother was going down a path of destruction and that he didn't even care once about that. Constantly, Sho tried to help his brother the best he could but Shinji, being the older brother and a stubborn one at that, became enraged anytime he tried to help him, saying he could do everything on his own.

He passed by some of the small outside markets of people yelling out items that they were selling and doing their best to get someone interested. Sho shoved his hands into his jacket pockets as he continued his way down the pathway, avoiding the crowds the best he could. A sense of fear overcame him slightly as he felt that someone was staring at him and he turned around cautiously to see a few guys eyeing him from afar. The dread that overtook him made him walk faster and eventually start to jog lightly towards the other end. He could hear the pounding footsteps from the two men who were following him and he snuck away into one of the shops, hiding himself from view. He watched as the two men looked around and were confused as to where he went, starting to go the other way as their intentions had told them to. Sho came out of the shop and made sure they were really leaving before continuing the other way towards Shinji's fish shop.

Sho entered Shinji's fish store and walked slowly by the many clear tanks that greeted him; the sounds of the bubbling filters could be heard all around. With a lit cigarette between his supple lips, he let the weight of the stick hang down slightly as he strolled with his hands in his pockets. The slight smell of chlorine and that distinct fish smell could be sensed as he perused about. Coming to a fish tank that was level to him, he brought up his hand to pull his shades down a little to look at some new fish species that peaked his interest. The little aquatic animals flipped about when he closed in towards the glass. Eventually, he made his way to where the main area was and saw Jessi, Shinji's only employee, as she was bent down on the ground. In a silly and cute way, Sho leaned over and greeted her. Noticing that she didn't smile back, he became curious.

"What are you doing" he asked with his cigarette between his fingers, his boots clicking lightly as he strode towards her and bent down to her side. He noticed her saddened face. "What's with him?"

"Poor fish. He's ill. He will die," Jessi replied, remorse laced in her words. The orange and white fish was on its side, gasping for water to breathe. Confused as to why she was letting it suffer, he picked up the net that it laid upon by the edge to raise it up a little bit.

"Chuck him then, it may be contagious," he advised then took a look at her. He released his grasp on the net when he noticed the death stare that she was giving him. Jessi was very caring about the fish and became close to them at times. She knew it was a business but still couldn't help but have a type of maternal instinct towards them, especially when they were sick. She snapped her head forward as she seethed inside, forgetting for a moment that Sho was selfish. She stood straight up quickly and pointed behind her.

"Shinji's on the roof," she stated, knowing that was exactly why he was there in the first place. Sho found her actions rude, especially when he assumed he was trying to be helpful. He couldn't comprehend why she was infuriated with him. He stood up as well and eyed her.

"No need to get upset!" he mentioned, being just as childish as she was. He made his way out the door as she continued to stand there angry. His feet clunked against the wooden walkway as he made his way to where the rooftops were. The splashing sounds echoed on either side of him as the numerous fish swam about. The waters sparkled brightly in the sunlight as he continued.

Hopping up along the wooden pathway in a better mood, he hummed to himself and every step he took was a beat to his made up tune. When he reached the area, he saw Shinji's back was turned to him as he sat at a small table.

"Niii-chan," he greeted sweetly at first but then drifted slightly as Sho took his shades off. Shinji was sitting there with his back hunched as he was smoking from a bubbling bong. Sho's face changed to frustration; he hated seeing his brother doing drugs, it always made the older brother even more irritable. As many bad things that Sho did, he never resorted to drugs because of the idea of succumbing to its hostile power and losing control of yourself was not his idea of fun or even a life.

Finally, Shinji put the object down on the table and then stood up. "What's up?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Sho asked, though already knowing the answer. Shinji started to gimp his way past Sho.

"Not much," he simply started, still on his way away from Sho. He didn't want to hear Sho's criticism so he decided to just walk away. Many times he heard the countless talks and excuses that Sho could come up with, Shinji could write a book. Sho let him go as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. He eyed the foreign object that Shinji was just using and stepped over to pick it up. He examined it and wanted to desperately throw it far enough for it to either be lost or broken. He sighed as he thought twice about that; as much as he wanted his brother to get off this crap once and for all, he needed to maintain the peace that they both had. He knew it was just a matter of time. He replaced the object back on the table, shoved his hands in his pockets once more and headed towards the way Shinji went.

Upon entering the doorway of the main store, Sho noticed that two men in Hawaiian attire and flip flops were eyeing Shinji. When they spoke to his brother, Sho knew they were of Cantonese decent. Shinji, feeling the full effects of the drugs, was acting like a complete idiot. Sho frowned on this but was also wary of the two strange men. They demanded money from Shinji's earnings for the day but he gaily announced that he didn't have it, as if they would take that as an answer. One of the men pushed Shinji down in frustration. Upon seeing this beforehand in his thoughts, Sho dug deep into his pocket quickly and rummaged whatever cash he had in there, figuring that if he gave it to them they'd leave. Immediately, he stood in between the two men and his brother who was still on the floor. With a single hand up, he revealed the money he had between his fingers. One of the men grabbed that arm as Sho kept his strength to keep that arm up in plain view.

"What is this?" the man spat in Cantonese, pointing at the money almost as if he didn't know what it was.

"Take it and go!" Sho demanded, frustration and fear overtook him as he stood up to those men.

"Speak Cantonese to us!" the man ordered, not wanting to hear this man babble in Japanese.

"Take it and fuck off!" Sho yelled in his own language, not giving way once to them. It was bad enough that he was losing his money but not as bad as possible losing his brother to a bunch of thugs.

"Shut your mouth!" the blonde man shouted as he snatched the money out of his hand and threw him against the nearby doorway harshly. Sho didn't feel the pain from that since the fear that coursed through his body had numbed him slightly. He stood there as they started to make their leave. Thinking for a second that this was over, Sho went to where Shinji was, but the bleached blonde man stopped.

"Wait a minute," he started, stopping the other guy with his words. Sho stood there as the man looked at him accusingly. "Did he say what I think he said? He thinks he's got balls!" The man pushed him once more as a gesture for him to watch himself next time and feigned to strike Shinji as he was on the ground. The two men finally made their leave and that was Sho's cue to bend down to help Shinji up off of the floor. But when he tried to help his brother off of the floor, Shinji pushed him away, not accepting his help. He forced himself off of the ground and started to gimp towards the door, mentioning that he didn't need his pity, and headed outside towards the rooftops. Once Shinji made his leave, Sho watched him then his head lowered in frustration before lifting his leg to kick the doorway in anger before following Shinji outside. Sho caught up with his older brother back on the rooftop as Shinji sat there looking somewhat dejected.

"What the hell was that?" Sho asked, still seething from earlier. "Did you think it was funny to piss them off like that?"

"Leave me alone, Sho," Shinji tried to brush it off, he didn't want to hear it from him right now.

"No, I'm not," he shouted. "Someone has to be an adult around here and it sure as hell isn't you!"

"It's my life, it's my problems, get over it," Shinji calmly said, finding it hard to get too angry when stoned.

"It's your problem when I have to bail you out of it? I'm not going to get over it, you can't push me away," he stated. "You have to realize what you are doing is only going to get you killed!"

"What about you, huh? You call what you do 'honest work'?" Shinji questioned. "You're no better than I am. You have a way of living and so do I," he explained, trying to end this pointless conversation. Sho sighed noisily as he stood there, wanting to say more to him but knowing that his thick headed skull wouldn't have any of it. Turning on his heels, he took his leave down the pathway, having enough with his brother.

So much for trying to feel better about his brother…

~*~

The rain was pattering on the window as Sho looked out, feeling the cold chill coming off of the glass. His stunning eyes scanned the outside the best he could as if looking for something or someone but the blur of the water cascading down made it difficult to see clearly. The beauty his face possessed had become fatigued out of stress and worry.

It had been months since the revelation of Kei being a vampire to Son and Yi-Che; that stormy night where fate had changed drastically for all four of them. The two men who had followed Sho once before had found him and his friends. They found Toshi and used him as a pawn of their feelings and to draw them out. The whole nightmare began when Toshi was shot and Kei, as weak as he was, tried to save his friends but failed due to his frail condition of starvation. He had run off to the trees and the friends came out to check on Toshi, but it was too late. Son decided to chase after Kei, trying to see if he could help him. Toshi died in Sho's arms, as Sho cried and pleaded for him not to go. He gently laid down his now deceased best friend and stood up. He noticed that Son was standing there in the rain, his gaze towards the trees, and he looked to be in shock. When Sho came beside him to see what was going on, it was then that Sho realized why he was reacting that way. Kei had finally succumbed to his animal thirst and began feeding on the man that chased him into the trees. Sho, having mixed emotions of grief and dread, he tried to shout to Kei to stop what he was doing, only getting Kei to look up for a second in complete insanity from the hunger and continued with his feeding. Over and over, Sho pleaded for him to stop, the two siblings on either side of him in absolute fright as they continued to watch.

After Kei was finally finished, he stood up and ran off into the trees. Sho just watched him go, not entirely sure what was to become of all of them now. Son and Yi-Che looked at Sho as he hung his head down, the truth coming out about what Kei really was. The trust between them was shattered into pieces since no one told them. The silence and the harsh pattering of the rain was the only thing that was heard, it was almost unbearable. Son, not saying a word, walked over to Yi-Che and took her arm gently, dragging her along with him as he started to walk her home in anger. Deep in his heart, Sho knew this was not something that could be fixed overnight for he had a lot of explaining to do.

A few long months later, Sho had explained the best he could to Son and Yi-Che but their friendship never became quite the same, especially with Son. And Kei was still on the loose somewhere. Sho spent countless days trying to find Kei, his only true friend left, but was unable to locate him. The sleepless nights Sho spent looking for him anywhere he thought he would be, but never once finding a trace and the fatigue showed clearly in his eyes.

"Why do you keep trying to look for that monster? I told you he was never to be trusted," Shinji remarked matter-of-factly. Shinji was sitting in a chair in Sho's apartment visiting. He knew that his brother was constantly trying to look for that vampire and couldn't quite understand why. He felt he needed to remind Sho that he had been correct about Kei all along, loving the feeling that he was right and Sho was wrong for once. But the constant badgering was getting to Sho.

"Will you shut up already?" Sho raised his voice in annoyance, turning around to face him. "He is my friend and nothing that you will say will make me change my mind about him." Shinji gave him a death stare.

"You know, I am your older brother and as such you should give me respect," he mentioned, pulling the elder sibling card.

"Respect?! That's big talk for someone who gets high off of drugs all the time because he can't handle life!" he retorted, his eyes becoming enraged. Shinji's demeanor softened at that, finding that extremely hurtful, but doing his best to hide it behind his weary eyes. The seriousness in his face stayed as he forced himself up from the chair onto his good leg.

"I never want to hear that from you again," he stated, turning around and gimping his way towards the door.

"I can't let you leave, you have nowhere to go," Sho's voice softened slightly as he watched his brother keep his pace towards the exit. "Not since you were evicted."

"That's none of your concern, I will figure something out," he replied to that. Sho walked over to stop him with his hand on his shoulder but Shinji smacked it away.

"I'll be fine," he insisted. "I don't want to stay with someone who thinks I'm a loser anyway, especially my own brother."

"I can't let you live on the streets, not like before," he mentioned to when they were living on the streets as orphans.

"No," Shinji snapped. "I'm sick of being treated like a baby! I'm doing fine on my own! Just leave me the hell alone!" Shinji continued to the door as Sho stood there, steaming on the inside as his face contorted to extreme anger. He bent down to grab a clear glass cigarette plate that was on the table near him; with all of his might, he threw it hard across the room. As Shinji reached for the doorknob, the cigarette plate hit the door above his hand and shattered into numerous pieces. This halted Shinji as he gasped in shock and turned to face his brother's direction.

"You listen to me now!" Sho shouted, hoping that finally got through Shinji's thick head. "You are staying here! I will not let you go back out there to buy more drugs and ruin your life anymore than it already is! You will live in my house under my rules! You hear me?!"

Shinji stood there and stared at the angry face of his younger brother. He sighed and figured that he should go along with this since he was helping him when he really needed it. He slowly limped his way back towards the chair it was in initially and sat in it. Sho sat in the chair opposite him and sighed as well trying to wash the anger and frustration that had consumed him.

"I want to help you, Niii-chan, but you have to let me," Sho tried to explain calmly. "You can't keep doing this anymore and you can't deny my offer of living here because Kei isn't here. I don't know if he'll ever come back," he said that softly as he felt the reality of it hit him. "So in the meantime, I need you to be here with me so that we can try to work things out together, ok?" Shinji looked at him and thought about all of that, but felt he needed to make something clear to Sho as to what was going on.

"You don't know how I feel, Sho," he mentioned. "You think I like living this way?" Shinji pointed to his bum leg that he's hated for so long. He couldn't run, could barely walk, finding himself sitting most of the time because that was the only time when it didn't hurt him. "Do you think that I enjoy life having a bullet in my leg that causes me so much pain?"

Sho rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands in front of him as he looked down at the ground in thought. He guessed that his brother turned to the paraphernalia mostly because of his leg and his inability to deal with it. He never asked for this and it was an unfortunate result of their carelessness as kids.

"Niii-chan, that's why I want to help you," Sho started to say. "I know life hasn't been easy for both of us, especially you, but we're all we've got. You can't continue down the road of destruction because you're sad. You need to open more, talk more, so that we can work things out. You can find a healthier way of dealing with things if you feel you just can't take it, ok?"

Shinji stared at him for a moment in thought as he took this in. Maybe his little brother was right… maybe he had always been the wiser one all along. For once, Shinji decided to take his words to heart instead of pushing them away.

"I don't know if I can do this," Shinji said, actually admitting fear of withdrawal. "My body has become so used to it."

"I will help you every step of the way," Sho assured him, a soft smile finally making its way upon his face as he realized that finally this was a positive step towards getting Shinji back on the right track.

Later that night, Sho and Shinji were at the dinner table together enjoying a nice warm meal that Sho cooked up. As Sho placed the food down, he thought about bringing something up to his brother. When he had gone out earlier for a stroll to clear his head, he noticed that there was a bar up for sale. Thinking this might be a calling, he wanted to pass it by Shinji to see if maybe he was up to running a bar; since bars are more susceptible for bringing in more money than that fish store that he was still straggling with. He felt it would be even more perfect to have the bar and turn it into a little restaurant as well with billiards, darts, and other things that created a comfortable atmosphere for people.

"Niii-chan, there's this bar down the street that is up for sale, maybe it would be something that you might want to run instead of that fish store," Sho offered, telling him straightforward.

"I don't know anything about running a bar," Shinji stated, looking at him odd as if he grew an extra head.

"Well, there's a first for everything, besides, how hard could it be?" Sho tried to encourage his brother.

"Yeah like I can see myself running a place full of drunks," he said.

"Better than a bunch of waterlogged animals," Sho mentioned. "Besides, you don't have to really hire anyone except a few people. And I'm sure that Jessi won't mind working for you there. I think we could turn it into a small restaurant, there's enough room for that."

"How do you know?" he questioned, shoving some rice in his mouth.

"I peaked into the windows," Sho said with a smile. "Come on, Niii-chan, say you'll do it. I can lend you some money to help you get started. And this will be a great way to distract your mind and do something productive." Shinji thought about it as he chewed and then took a sip of his drink.

"Okay, sounds good," he finally agreed to it. Sho smiled again, finding this to be a great way to get Shinji's life back in order. It was going to be a rough road, but at least Shinji was allowing him to help him.

Sho felt that the bond that they had before was slowly coming back… that they truly were brothers again.


	8. 023 Alone

**023. Alone**

The morning sun. The bright orange colored rays cast upon the musky morning. Bringer of warmth and gentleness as it slowly rises from the horizon beaming down on the sleepy planet. Most people would find the sun inviting, bringing peace and tranquility to the world even for a moment.

Luka gazed upon the rising sun, knowing now how much he had missed this great feeling. The years that he spent hiding in the shadows of twilight always brought him sorrow; he had forgotten how happy the sun made him. As he knelt on one knee on the grains of sand, feeling the ocean breeze wisp through his fine raven hair, his eyes gazed upon the horizon as the sun came dangerously high to cast its rays. At this moment, he could careless. It was over for him; no more running, no more hiding, no more lives to take to satiate a hunger that was never ending and far too painful to describe.

"This is what it looks like... It's been so long, I'd forgotten... It'd be beautiful in the sunlight. The waves sparkling…" Luka mentioned. Kei stood next to him, his light crimson jacket blew in the breeze and his dirty blonde hair swishing around his face. The concerned look on his face was eminent as he watched his friend not even try to budge. He was fearful that Luka was serious about him finding another "friend"; he always referred to that term in a loose fashion since Luka was the one responsible for turning him into what he was today. Kei's eyebrows knitted together as he started to become scared; the sun was just about high enough to burn through the remaining clouds. He fearfully bit his lip and turned to him.

"Let's go. The sun's coming out," Kei told him as if he didn't know. He knew it was long enough and they needed to get to shelter quickly or the pain of the UV rays on their skin will burn immensely.

"You go. I've had enough," Luka says nonchalantly as he made his final decision. Kei wouldn't have any of it, he tried to grab his friend's hand and beg him to come. But Luka pushed him away and looked at him.

"Go... by yourself," Luka demanded, his eyes stern as he stared at the other vampire. Kei bit his lip as he felt the tears behind his eyes threatening to come forth. With a quick sob he turned around and ran as the sand kicked up beneath his feet, giving his friend his final wish. Kei only ran so far though, enough to leave Luka alone to spend his last minutes, but just enough to keep a watch on him. He knew he should have just kept running and never looking back, but guilt flushed over him as he stood ankle deep in the cool sand, watching as Luka caught fire from the sun's flames, never once did the fire seem to faze him as he softly sung a song that he had learned years past; a song that had some deep meaning to him but never would explain why. Kei recognized the words and it took a lot to hold back the tears that were threatening to come forth; he ended up breathing heavily instead. As he watched the flames grow from Luka's body as they grew higher and higher, he could start feeling the burn on his own body from the sun. No longer able to stay in the sun, Kei started to run and hid in a shaded area. He panted out of being out of breath and from sorrow. The regret of letting him go set in, but it was far too late…

He had forgiven Luka for what he had done long ago.

Many years had past for Kei, though he never really knew. For a vampire, time never matters since they don't age. He let himself succumb to starvation at times and didn't even care anymore if he died.

In a dirty part of town, Kei had collapsed onto the ground, unable to move any longer. It had been countless days, maybe even weeks, that he had starved himself. He couldn't bear killing people just so he could eat, that was always the bad part about being a vampire was to be the hunter stalking your prey at all times.

He was alone… that is, until a little boy tried to steal his watch…


	9. 025 Gasp

**025. Gasp**

This was it. It was all over. Sho had given all his courage and power to withstand the barrage of bullets that were fired his way. He was fearless, not afraid to die anymore. Everyone he had known were gone. All that was left was to kill off the betrayer.

Sho stared at the face he loathed so much. He could never understand why Son turned his back on them. He never would explain - always sloughing it off as if it didn't matter.

When the count of three was said, the sound of a gunshot could be heard ringing in the small enclosed area. The pain was lengthy at letting Sho know that he had been shot in the chest - the pain that coursed through his body from the two gunshot wounds in his arms covered it up. He didn't even realize it until he looked down at the crimson blood as it stained the front of the once pristine white shirt. Feeling weak, his body fell down to the ground in a heap.

Son, in denial as he walked towards Sho's shuddering body, shook his head and accused him of not firing. Sho lied and choked out that he did, pointing a bloody finger at him for emphasis.

Kei came out from the shadows, having dealt with the two boys who called themselves men. The front of his shirt stained with his own blood from numerous gunshots, Kei approached the area and found his friend on the ground, the white outfit pronouncing the amount of blood lost.

"How could you…?" Kei asked angrily, his eyes seething at the other man.

"This is our destiny," he explained as if it was obvious, slowly starting to hold up the gun to shoot at him, but Kei was quicker and shot multiple bullets into the torso of the man he once called a friend.

Overcome with grief, Kei staggered slowly over to his friend, almost as if he was afraid to. Deep within his heart, he knew that his friend was as good as dead, even though it was a slow one. Every breath Sho tried to take was a staggered one. Kei lifted his upper body and held him close, feeling his whole body shake.

"Sho!" he said to him, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to figure out in his mind if this was really happening or not. He tried to hold his hand against Sho's wound to see if he could try to help, but too much was lost. Suddenly, Sho bounced upwards slightly and coughed the blood that had seeped into his lungs which only made the situation even more real.

"Everyone's gone…" Sho choked out softly.

"What do you mean?" Kei asked, trying to keep Sho talking, to try to keep him awake so that he wouldn't die on him.

"Don't forget our promise," Sho said with struggling breath.

"Sho, don't die!" Kei pleaded, holding onto his dying friend. "Stay with me! Don't leave!" He could feel the burn of the sun and started to drag Sho into the shadows nearby. The sobs that came forth from Kei could be heard echoing off the walls as he pulled his dying friend with him.

Unable to take anymore of this, he instinctively rolled up the crimson sleeve on his arm and showed his naked wrist. He couldn't lose another friend… he couldn't. The emotion that filled him when he watched Luka engulfed in flames consumed him again; as if reliving the nightmare once more. He knew Sho had so much to live for even though he wanted to end it all; all he could think about was the little girl in ponytails and couldn't bear to be alone again.

As he held up Sho the best he could, he drew his wrist to Sho's mouth. It was something he swore he'd never do to anybody, especially to Yi-Che when Sho desperately pleaded to him. He said he couldn't condemn anybody to this type of life, but here he was begging for Sho to initiate the act of becoming a vampire. He noticed that Sho was slowly succumbing to unconsciousness and Kei lightly tapped his face to rouse him. Sho slightly fluttered his eyes open, the sweat glistening off of his face as he turned his head a little, seeing the wrist that Kei offered.

"Go ahead, bite it," he implied, bringing it just close enough to him. Sho's mind was hazy and he obeyed almost unwillingly as he opened his mouth slowly, still shaking, and then wrapped his mouth over Kei's wrist. Kei clenched his teeth together to suppress the pain as he felt the skin break. Sho tasted the scarlet blood and found it to be sweet so he generously suckled on it, letting the warmth of it fill his senses. After a moment, Kei started to become weak and decided it was enough as he jerked his wrist away from Sho and held it to his chest.

After Kei removed his wrist, Sho's face contorted into almost a rage as he gritted his teeth, the crimson stain pronounced on the white enamel, as his body lightly writhed involuntarily. His arms were outstretched as he squirmed almost in pain and made noises of strain as he gasped, breathing in the last breath of human life. The transformation that was happening to Sho was all too familiar to Kei as he had to go through the same ritual, but seeing it from this end was a little painful. Finally, it was over as Sho's body calmed down after the whole shock of the change and his breathing was erratic. Sho forced himself up off the ground to sit up and tried to slow his breathing. He looked at Kei as if he was confused at what just happened.

"I couldn't… lose you," Kei admitted, tears streaming down his strained face and he instinctively embraced him as a rush of relief came over him. Bewildered, Sho accepted the hug by placing his hand on the middle of Kei's back.

* * *

**A/N: There are a few theories based on how vampires come to be, but I picked the one that I remembered from "Interview With the Vampire" because it made more sense to me. Sho lost way too much blood to be bitten by a vampire and his blood being sucked, so I did the alternative and made Kei offer his blood and that turned Sho into a vampire. Don't shoot me, it just made more sense to me to use that method since it was never mentioned in the movie exactly how any of them were turned into vampires.**


End file.
